Run #2: Optical Aleutians

[GM Nick]

[ McLaughlin Airfield, Seattle ]

A mini-jet breaks through the cloud cover, wing-tips tracing a contrail as it banks in to land.

The ground is muddy and a persistent drizzle hangs stubbornly to the morning air. Your head pounds--a result of a previous night spent drinking and celebrating your last day in Seattle before the trip north.

You key your comm and play back the message from Mr. Lo, just in case you missed anything important.

<My team has managed to recover the coordinates for the next canister. They point to a location in Fairbanks, Alaska. The only satellite photos we have of the area are at least 10 years old. The canister appears to be in some sort of oil processing facility.>

The mini-jet touches down, wheels shrieking as they hit the pavement. A duck trail of moisture erupts in its wake.

<Your contact in Fairbanks is a native Inuit survival expert named Pandora. She's a bit of a local legend there--think street samurai of the great north. She knows the area and will be your guide. For all intents and purposes, she is part of your team.>

The aircraft rolls to a stop and idles. A hatch on the mini-jet opens and a small Chinese man sticks his head out.

<The Order of the Dawn will have gone to great lengths to protect the canister so there is no telling what kind of resistance to expect, but definitely expect it. As agreed, successful retrieval of the canister will be rewarded with ¥45,000. From the moment you step foot on that jet, you're on your own.>

"Hey, are you the contractors? I'm Chen. Hop in!"